sexing

hi all,

the surest way of sexing is by probing, but just wondering if the size of spurs would be an indication, and how accurate would it be.
males should have bigger, more distinct spurs right?

Spurs are just a vague indication imho. The surest way to tell is through probing.

Spurs are not a good way to sex a snake. It's way too variable. Probing or popping (for younger snakes) is the most accurate way.

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Originally Posted by TheDoctor

but just wondering if the size of spurs would be an indication, and how accurate would it be.

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No and not at all ... LOL ... I have females with spurs the size of fishing hooks and males with no spurs at all.

Probing or popping ... that's it. ;)

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

No and not at all ... LOL ... I have females with spurs the size of fishing hooks and males with no spurs at all.

Probing or popping ... that's it. ;)

-adam

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Hey adam you must have the sister of my big female:O .When i first started out in ball pythons someone told me to look at how their tails tapered.Then i was set straight on the correct ways to tell the sex probing or popping.I prefere probing:number1:

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Originally Posted by joepythons

Hey adam you must have the sister of my big female:O .When i first started out in ball pythons someone told me to look at how their tails tapered.Then i was set straight on the correct ways to tell the sex probing or popping.I prefere probing:number1:

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I'm a popper ... I don't think I've probed a snake (other than to teach people how to do it) in five years.

But, if you know what you're doing and you're good at it, either way works!

-adam

I don't know how you can pop a bigger BP. I try and nothing ever happens! I managed to pop my 4.5' kingsnake, but that's it for bigger snakes.

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Originally Posted by Shelby

I don't know how you can pop a bigger BP. I try and nothing ever happens! I managed to pop my 4.5' kingsnake, but that's it for bigger snakes.

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I've been doing this a LONG time ... lots and lots of practice ... plus, I eat my wheaties! ;)

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

I've been doing this a LONG time ... lots and lots of practice ... plus, I eat my wheaties! ;)

-adam

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OOOUCH!!!! :devilish: hee hee hee

Yeah I guess I do need more practice.. 'cept my big boas don't like me 'practicing' on them. Talk about ouch! :P

I'm still scared! ;) But with Adam's qualified coaching, Kashmire just may have to tolerate it. Adam assures me that he won't break and will tag me if he's displeased with my efforts! :O

I still am afraid I'll 'break' one of them. lol.. I'm paranoid.

:omg: okay... so tell me, what is popping?

Popping is when you use your thumb and finger to evert either the hemipene (male) or musk gland (female) from the tail base out the cloaca.

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

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lol ya thats what i was thinking.... i'll prolly stay away from that!

lol it's not as gross as it sounds.. really. Unless you end up squishing some musk out! That's gross!

not as gross as it sounds.... well april it's sounding grosser and grosser with every posting

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

and double ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Bah you people aren't real snake people then! Wussies!

We just bought a baby corn snake today and nobody could tell us what gender it is. There was a guess that our snake is a male just by his size compared to another snake that's the same age, and that other snake was longer. I was wondering if it's safe to 'pop' the snake even though he/she is small. I just don't wanna hurt the little guy.

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Bah you people aren't real snake people then! Wussies!

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hey i'm cool with that! :oops:

LOL

Popping is safe - it's the easiest way to sex a baby snake. You can not sex a snake by comparing size to a similar aged snake!

It's best to have someone who knows (breeder/vet) how to pop to show you. Take a look at this page:

http://www.vpi.com/9VPITipsAndTechs/...exOfSnakes.htm

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Bah you people aren't real snake people then! Wussies!

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LOL ... Ya know, I was at my shop today showing some friends how to pop and the shirt I'm wearing still has urate stains on it ... :twisted: ... that's hard core stuff right there. :P

-adam

Ah yes.. I came downstairs yesterday after cleaning cages and my mum asks what that white streak is on my new jeans. It was blood python urate. :D She says 'you smell like a snake again!'

I popped a baby kenyan sand boa and squirted urate on someone else. They weren't pleased.

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

LOL ... Ya know, I was at my shop today showing some friends how to pop and the shirt I'm wearing still has urate stains on it ... :twisted: ... that's hard core stuff right there. :P

-adam

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Ah so I shouldn't wear the good clothes on my next visit? Although I think I remember seeing you do it... A little squirt and voila you were done. (Wow that just didn't come out right! :stupidme: )

Well, tried to pop Kashmire today (with Jo on IM with me! LOL). I can't tell!!! LOL


I didn't see two bumps at all, and I felt like I was giving a lot of pressure. I saw a small pink mound, but not much else - I'm sure I'm probably not doing it right, even with a pictorial step by step that I used.

Problem is, the pictorial showed a male snake's "stuff" but I have no clue as to what a female's "stuff" looked like.

Oh, and Kashmire was very calm throughout the whole process - didn't get tagged, but did get a little urine! LOL

You sometimes have to squish them pretty hard for them to show their stuff.

The girls' stuff is kind of a small pinkish mound (and wonderful musk will squirt out of it.. yummy!)

Well, I got a small pinkish mound - however, I'm not convinced that I did it right, althought I thought I was squishing his tail (with the rolling motion) pretty well, while pulling open the vent with the other hand.


I certainly didn't see anything that resembled sperm plugs either - but I don't know what age males would produce them - so much to still learn!!

thats what a female looks like. i saw an example of both in the complete ball python.

are you sure he's a he? have you ever had him sexed before?

No, I'm not sure he's not a she, which is why I thought I'd try. I'm still not convinced I did it right (or even know what I'm looking at!) I did it about four times, all the same "results".


And no, I've not had anyone else sex him. I'd love if he was a female, so it would be nice if he turned out to be she.

ok, well if you want my oppinion... Kashmire sure does seem like a female to me:)